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Attitudes

To what extent can you "decide" what kind of attitude to have? Is choosing what kind of attitude to have a purely practical decision where one only has to acknowledge that a positive attitude is more conducive to success? If you see a lot to be cynical about, how easy is it to prevent this from being a part of your attitude?

I have many personas. I can be militaristic, angry, emo, erotic, happy, and many other things. Likewise, I can fit an attitude with each one, and as a result, I can have many attitudes. Attitude, to me, is a tool that can use for good and evil. However, I often slip into my cynical, doubtful, and generally sarcastic attitude because I don't have to think much about it. It just happens. And I can stay that way for a while.
So yeah, I can pick a 'tood based on my mood.

To what extent can you "decide" what kind of attitude to have? Is choosing what kind of attitude to have a purely practical decision where one only has to acknowledge that a positive attitude is more conducive to success? If you see a lot to be cynical about, how easy is it to prevent this from being a part of your attitude?

That would be a very good question in a parallel universe where alcohol doesn't exist.

I see positive thinking as more of a tool than a truth. Meaning, I acknowledge that positive thinking is useful, but since I don't believe there is much to positive about, it seems to me that I'd have to lie in order to think positively.

Clearly you're waiting for somebody to pick up on the fact that somebody just treated you shitty and ask you about it, so you can vent without it appearing unsolicited. So I'll save you a shitload of hints and bumping.

Clearly you're waiting for somebody to pick up on the fact that somebody just treated you shitty and ask you about it, so you can vent without it appearing unsolicited. So I'll save you a shitload of hints and bumping.

What happened?

Lol. No, that's not what happened at all really. I just hate it when people act everyone is capable of super positive thinking and that being cynical makes you an asshole. If you perceive a lot to be cynical about, it's going to be a big part of your attitude and ability to think positively. Why do people have to "force" themselves to think positively? Isn't that like lying to yourself about how you really feel about the world?

"I hate cynicism -- it's my least favorite quality and it doesn't lead anywhere. Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you're kind, amazing things will happen. I'm telling you, amazing things will happen."

Is it because he appears to have a very cynical attitude towards cynicism?

Look, basically there is no such thing as truth. There is no such thing as reality. There is only your truth. Your reality. Everybody perceives the world differently and in those perceptions create their own realities in their minds. That's all there is. Many of us create similar realities and are considered normal. Some of us create wildly differing realities and are considered insane. But what we consider reality is always the same, merely a construct in our minds created from sensory input and preconceived notions. I'm not saying you can consciously choose how to feel and think but you can help yourself change if you aren't enjoying your current reality. If you want to be a more positive person just start looking for the positive side of things. Most things have both negative and positive aspects. Start thinking more about the positives and less about the negatives. It's a small start but it can lead to greater satisfaction.

“Today a young man on acid realized that all matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration, that we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively, there is no such thing as death, life is only a dream, and we are the imagination of ourselves.” – Bill Hicks